I used to train/race several times a week, however I work to pay for my bikes now and am stictly a weekend warrior.Though my race results havn't suffered greatly I feel that I have lost some of my endurance but am fresh for each race.

I'll buy a new bike soon and will buy an indoor trainer to stay in form (why buy a bike and be out of form )

Brian

Glad to know that you still have great race results despite working and being a weekend warrior.
If cardio pressure is what is affecting your performance. It could be caused by the decrease of your physical activity (training). Cardio pressure could be caused by your heart's inability to supply enough blood to your organs (eg, lungs and muscles) making your heart to pump faster and maybe stronger.
If you've just cut down your training time recently, your body will adapt to your current physical state. Hopefully you won't have that much problem of cardio pressure.

if you are a weekend warrior like me it´s better spendt time to go with long intervalls at 80% of your VO2 max 5x5min two times a week this should give you better results than eating pills

didn't mean to encourage people to take supplements.
Your training program sounds good. We could post that in the new training forum.
I do have a question about the training. If I am a weekend warrior myself and perform the long intervals at 80%, when will my recovery phase be?

bruiser go riding for at least 1.5 hr and after 30 minutes start with the first power training. Ride in your heaviest gear at 70% of your hf max. Stay in the saddle. Do it for five minutes, then relax 5 and do it again. You have to do 5 power training parts. the recouvery will take up to two/ three days. So no speed training afterwards. You can train HF max the followong days.

bruiser go riding for at least 1.5 hr and after 30 minutes start with the first power training. Ride in your heaviest gear at 70% of your hf max. Stay in the saddle. Do it for five minutes, then relax 5 and do it again. You have to do 5 power training parts. the recouvery will take up to two/ three days. So no speed training afterwards. You can train HF max the followong days.

Got it

We've got a lot of great training ideas here. Is there a way to include thses in the training forum?

With every other weekend being an off-road 20 miles, I'm clocking up 500 miles a month. I dont stretch or each specific foods.

I'm 12.5 stone, having previously been 14.5stone. Over 7 months lost 2 stone in weight (new to cycling).

Any beginners tips to eating / drinking / training?

I find my:
power is great
speed ok
stamina ok

I just lack the enthusiasm to ride at length and at speed. I can do it but... Maybe I need to set myself time trials. Started doing that on my commute. 11 miles (road - but not flat). Started at 48 minutes. Got this down to 32 minutes (at that speed I'm half dead at the end). Performance seemed to plateau from their. Cant seem to break the 30 minute barrier. At 32 minutes I'm averaging 22 miles and hour on a mountain bike with road tyres (26 inch wheels - 42 x 11 gear setup).

On a road bike 30 minutes I feel no problem. But want to break it on my mountain bike.

To answer the original question, I have tried Optygen before with no noticable results. The product is quite expensive also ($50 a bottle). At that price I expect more from a product. I am sceptical of most products though. I have heard of some folks "thinking" they saw some results from the product, but I often beleive its just the placebo effect. You can give people sugar pills and tell them that its an experimental drug and they will say that the pills make them sick.

I was wondering if anyone out there is using or has used Optygen? Does it work....give me feedback

I suspect a bowl of oatmeal might work as well. There's no shortcutting a consistent training program. My only performance enhancing suppliment is caffiene .. and mostly to get my arse up and going! If Optygen claims an increase in V02 max, etc., it's probably so insignificant compared to what real, long-term training will do for you.

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